[sandworm101]

Those great 18th and 19th century stories of rambling into the unknown are definitively English. The ability to walk across land without worry of being attacked (by man or beast) is because of England's strong legal and social rules, and that every predator larger than a badger was killed off long ago. At most you could expect an angry farmer, but more likely you would be seen as just another rambler. Try that in 18th century Africa, Asia or even North America and it would not have ended well.

[thaumasiotes]

> The ability to walk across land without worry of being attacked (by man or beast) is because of England's strong legal and social rules, and that every predator larger than a badger was killed off long ago. At most you could expect an angry farmer, but more likely you would be seen as just another rambler. Try that in 18th century Africa, Asia or even North America and it would not have ended well.

Perhaps not in 18th century Asia, but this was a very commonly noted feature of the Pax Mongolica in 13th- and 14th-century Asia. People remarked at the time that even women traveling alone would remain unmolested.

[sandworm101]

Maybe for the rich people. Average people living under pax Mongolia were not free to move about without good reason. Similar statements have been made about Tokugawa Japan; all those stories about wandering samurai. The reality is that while crime was under control only those with social station or government permission were allowed to move about, and then only along prescribed paths/means. England overcame this with the demise of feudal systems. Only then could literally anyone be allowed to walk across the country.

[BurningFrog]

Probably the travel ban for lower classes is part of how you create Pax Mongolia.

[thaumasiotes]

> Average people living under pax Mongolia were not free to move about without good reason.

The legal situation varied, but regardless of the legalities there was no structure in place to enforce this.

> England overcame this with the demise of feudal systems.

Note that at around this time, England started passing laws that prohibited serfs from leaving their ancestral lands, and the reason the laws were suddenly passed is that the serfs had suddenly begun to leave. The laws had no effect on whether the serfs could leave, though; feudalism fell apart because the general population structure stopped supporting it.

[thaumasiotes]

> all those stories about wandering samurai

I don't understand this reference; wandering samurai ("ronin") are bandits, the problem to be suppressed.

[sandworm101]

Ronin are masterless. A samurai with a master could also travel. Many of the stories are about perfectly legitimate samurai getting into adventures while wandering. Or they are about chasing down personal vendettas that involve lots of autonomous travel.